Simmons unfazed by turbulence ahead of West Indies Test series

Nothing appears to surprise Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons anymore.

Having witnessed three changes in the Bangladesh Cricket Board's presidency in a relatively short period, Simmons hardly seemed taken aback when asked about the turbulence surrounding the Tigers ahead of their crucial two-match Test series against West Indies, part of the World Test Championship.

Bangladesh discontinued batting coach Mohammad Ashraful from his role with the national team just four days before the first Test in Mirpur, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the team's preparations. The Tigers have also had little time to regroup as a full squad, having been occupied with the UAE tri-nation ODI series, from which their exit also drew criticism.

But Simmons was in no mood to dwell on the off-field developments, instead emphasising the importance of preparation and the work that lies ahead.

“You have been in Bangladesh a long longer than me. You've seen world cricket a lot longer than me. Is this the first time there's chaos before a match? No, right. So every series is important,” Simmons said when asked about the situation ahead of the series.

With Bangladesh currently fourth in the WTC standings and still in contention for a place in the final, Simmons stressed that the team's focus must remain on what happens inside the dressing room rather than the noise surrounding it.

“Those that we were playing at the start of this two years were important too. But the thing is how we go about our business, our preparation for the series. And I think that the group that was here have been excellent in the last three or four days,” he added.

Simmons acknowledged that the scheduling had not provided Bangladesh with the ideal build-up, but pointed out that the players had not been idle during the recent tri-nation ODI assignments.